Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz) says the earmark process in Congress is “the gateway to corruption,” which is why he is supporting Republican Dino Rossi in his race against Sen. Patty Murray (D) in Washington state.

“For years we’ve watched the corruption that has resulted from [earmark spending] and I do mean corruption,” McCain said today on a conference call in support of Rossi’s campaign. “Senator Murray has been one of the leaders of this disgraceful misuse of taxpayer’s dollars.”

Rossi has pledged to ban earmarks until Congress produces a balanced budget. Murray, in contrast, ranks ninth among Senators in earmark spending and has been unabashed in her defense of the process on the campaign trail, touting her ability to “secure investments” for the state of Washington. She has already requested nearly $1.4 billion in earmarks for next year. McCain lashed out at the earmark process and all those who participate, Democrats and Republicans alike.

“There are three kinds of senators,” McCain said. “Democratic senators, Republican senators, and appropriators.” He added that he has “vociferously opposed” the efforts of this third group to partake in pork spending, and suggested an outright ban on earmarks. “I’d just say no more,” he said. “Just don’t do it.”

McCain echoed many of Rossi’s attacks on Murray’s spending record, as well as her connections to lobbying groups, criticisms that Politifact determined to be “mostly true.” The Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal today examines in detail the extent of Murray’s dubious relationship with lobbying firms that currently employ former members of her staff, who have received nearly $20 million in federal funds earmarked by Murray.

McCain stopped short of saying Murray herself was corrupt. “Whether she’s corrupt or not I will let other people make that judgment,” he said, but reiterated his belief that the process itself was corrupting. “I’ve seen it with my own eyes,” he said.

He mentioned in particular the $17 million earmark Murray entered into a defense appropriations bill to supply speed boats to the Navy and Coast Guard. As it turns out, neither the Navy nor the Coast Guard requested the boats, and ended up giving them away. “What could we have done for the men and women serving in military with the millions wasted on these boats?” McCain said.

Asked if a ban on earmarks would negatively impact states like Washington, McCain said he didn’t think so. He said states like Alaska and Mississippi that historically request a lot of earmarks “really haven’t benefited by it” and compared pork spending to government welfare. “I don’t think it helps to dole out free money,” he said. “When you put people on welfare it doesn’t really help.”

McCain said lobbyists are the real winners in an earmark process that is based more on the individual clout of senators like Murray – currently the number Democrat in the senate – than on the actual needs and requirements of the states.

“Americans are sick and tired,” he said. “We’ve got to stop pork barrel spending, we’ve mortgaged our children’s’ futures and that’s why [I am] supporting Dino Rossi.”